After the reveal of the brand new GEN4 car at Le Castellet, the Formula E championship returns to Berlin for rounds 7 and 8. The iconic Tempelhof Airport track will host a double header this weekend, with Pascal Wehrlein still leading the scoreboard with 83 points.
Berlin Track Preview
The Berlin E-prix is a unique event that sees drivers battle on the concrete slabs of the former Tempelhof Airport. This type of surface makes racing tricky because of strong degradation, especially with warm temperatures forecast for the weekend.
The 2.374km circuit features 15 turns and has consistently appeared in the Formula E calendar, hosting over 20 races. The layout was recently tweaked to accommodate the higher speeds and power of the GEN3 EVO cars, making it suitable for faster racing and better energy management.
The track offers great action and many overtaking spots: look out for moves at turn 1 and the braking zones into turns 6 and 9. Attack Mode is placed at turn 2, and will be accompanied by PIT BOOST in Race 1.
The end of an era
Big news shook the paddock before the Berlin weekend. Mitch Evans has announced his departure from Jaguar TCS Racing at the end of the season. Evans has raced for Jaguar since his debut back in 2016, and over ten seasons he has become the most successful driver in the team’s history, securing 15 wins and 36 podiums.
The decision was mutual, and as Jaguar team principal Ian James said, both the driver and the team are committed to ending this season on a high note:
Both Mitch and the team have reached this decision together and with 11 races still remaining in our partnership, we will be doing everything we can at Jaguar TCS Racing to ensure we continue to support Mitch’s efforts in the Drivers’ World Championship, as well as our fight for the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ World Championships.
Ian James, Jaguar TCS Racing Team principal
Currently sitting 3rd in the standings, Evans will be looking to leave Jaguar with the one thing missing from his trophy cabinet: a Drivers’ World Championship title.
A Milestone for Buemi
While one veteran prepares for a new chapter, another hits a huge milestone. Sébastien Buemi is set to start his 150th Formula E race this weekend in Berlin.
The Season 2 champion has recently equaled the all-time pole position record (17) in Mexico City, his last pole being in Berlin back in 2023. That same weekend marked Formula E’s very own 150th race, making Buemi a true veteran of the sport. So far, in his fourth season at Envision Racing, the Swiss driver has claimed a second-place finish in Jeddah and a pole position in Mexico.
After securing a win for Toyota Racing at an intense WEC season opener in Imola, Buemi will be hoping to celebrate his milestone with a return to the Formula E podium.
The story before heading to Berlin
The first six rounds of Season 12 saw five different winners, with close championship standings and eventful races. So far, Porsche has proved to be dominant once again, as Jaguar follows closely with three wins under its belt. The race to the Driver’s title is incredibly tight, with the top four drivers separated by less than a single race win, and as we hit the mid-point of the season, the Berlin double header will be crucial to the development of the rest of the year.
Drivers’ Championship Top 10
- Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche Formula E Team) 83 Points
- Edoardo Mortara (Mahindra Racing) 72 Points
- Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) 65 Points
- António Félix da Costa (Porsche Formula E Team) 64 Points
- Nick Cassidy (CITROËN Racing) 51 Points
- Nico Müller (Porsche Formula E Team) 50 Points
- Oliver Rowland (NISSAN Formula E Team) 49 Points
- Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E) 47 Points
- Sébastien Buemi (Envision Racing) 43 Points
- Dan Ticktum (Cupra Kiro) 22 Points
With 58 points up for grabs across the two races in Berlin, the leaderboard could look radically different by Sunday night. Track action starts on Friday afternoon with Free Practice 1, so make sure to tune in!
Feature image credit: Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E
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